Tabs Out | Dachshund – s/t

It’s nice to see Fall Break Records staging a comeback with this release – they haven’t dropped anything on their own since Future Ape Tapes’ “1093” back in September 2016. This self-titled tape by Dachshund is a real treat too, because it combines two things that get the Tab Outers all worked up, that get everybody all sniffy and glaze-eyed like they found the catnip stash: live improv and #jass fusion. Taylor Josey over at Fall Break totally gets it when he likens “Dachshund” to “Coltrane-inspired spiritual jazz, meditative ECM, and German koshmiche [sic] music.” I read that and find myself bogarting the catnip with very little intention of sharing. This is all up my alley, and I’m keeping it all for myself.

This’ll probably get me slapped with some unfortunate labels, such as “rude” and “precious” and “unworkwithable.” But I’ll risk it, and maybe to soften the tension I’ll give you a little taste of what you can expect from these Dachshund cats. The duo of Peter Webb on sax and synth and John Gregg on drums take the mind-meld game to the next level. Two performances, one on each side, recorded over a year apart, one in Atlanta and one in Athens (both in Georgia, meh), showcase Dachshund’s ability to ride off on a vibe into the long hours of the late evening. Using a synthesizer drone for balance, sax and drums flit about each other before galloping off in all directions, only to coalesce periodically to merge with each other. Kind of like if you were lost in the wilderness with a buddy and two horses and you kept going in opposite directions to see if you could find anything, always with the caveat that you’d meet back at a precise location to take stock of the situation.

Also – spoiler alert – some dude in the audience supposedly says “I’m crying!” at the end, but I missed it. Stick around for that, it’s probably hilarious.

Let’s all take a little time to remind ourselves why we’re here, and fete Fall Break Records upon their return. Let’s also buy Dachshund tapes. “Only 30 copies. Get em soon!”